tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137524542024-03-12T19:03:42.172-07:00A NEW DAYanudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.comBlogger1511125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-45721442478780456852017-10-26T01:56:00.002-07:002017-10-26T01:56:29.899-07:00Hungary trip<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So this past weekend I went to Hungary. I had been invited back in August to go and give some talks on mediation. It was a return trip after giving 5 talks in 8 days two years ago. I flew WizzAir from Sarajevo, it was cheap and the flight was short, just 45 minutes.<br />
Based in Budapest I traveled each day to a different place and returned each night. The first talk was in Szolnok, to about 60 people and went well. The next morning I ran a 2 mile race. Then breakfast with friends before visiting the Sri Chinmoy statue in a very special place just outside the city. Lunch made friends and desert at a nice vegan cake shop. The second talk was in Kecskemet in a 100 seat venue around 115 people came and it was a very nice talk. It was a morning start for the drive to Miskolc where I met some old friends for lunch and an afternoon talk to about 20 people. We finished with a celebratory cake for the end of my mini tour. Returning through rain to Budapest which persisted through night and into the morning.<br />
The next day was a holiday remembering the 1956 uprising.<br />
My return flight was at 10 am and I was back home by 11. A great trip but short trip.</div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-86791876423006924612017-10-02T06:52:00.001-07:002017-10-02T06:52:18.960-07:00It's been a long time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well it has been a long time since I posted on this blog. I had a problem recently trying to get back in here. I have finally figured it out I think. A couple of years have gone by and I am still in Sarajevo. I have a job teaching English in the Callan school here and also have my own business giving sport therapy treatments. I continue to write poetry and will post some here. Glad to be back stay tuned. :)</div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-31122072332419910232015-12-01T07:55:00.000-08:002017-10-02T06:45:51.547-07:00December 1st 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yes it has been a while since I posted, it is not only a new day but a new month. I am now entering into my 4th winter in Sarajevo. In a few days I will travel to northern Serbia, near to the Hungarian border, where I will spend a few days with friends.<br />
I am happy with how things have gone during this 3 1/2 years in Bosnia. I have become a strong part of the meditation group here and have recently also an important part of a running club and the running community in general. I anticipate the 2016 will give me another opportunity to move forward. Stay tuned :)</div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-9212325454558369332014-04-10T05:29:00.000-07:002014-04-10T05:29:07.208-07:00Spring<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well I just noticed that I last posted in February, so it's about time I guess. Spring is here and this past winter was uneventful, we didn't get that much snow in fact it was quite a dry one.<br />
I have started giving meditation classes at a local yoga studio on Saturday mornings since the opening class when I had 20 attendee's, it has been a bit hit and miss, but I now seem to have 4 regular students and 2 more on the fringes. Hopefully the class will grow after all it's only been a few sessions over 2 months and people are now asking about it.<br />
In March a friend and I from Sarajevo joined 2 other friends in running the Half Marathon in Nish, Serbia, with a time of 2:39 it was my slowest Half Marathon , outside of ultra's to date. However it was my first as a 60 year old so a personal record for that age group :) .<br />
At the end of March, actually on March 30, 2 of us joined the Oneness Home Peace run in Trebinje. The small international team made it to Sarajevo on April 1, where we had meetings with one of the Presidents Zeljko Komsic at his party's headquarters and also the High Representative at his offices.<br />
So far things are moving forward from winter to Spring.</div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-39289491379829466032014-02-02T05:01:00.003-08:002014-02-02T05:01:38.808-08:00Another catch up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So as usual I spent Christmas and New Year in the UK with my sister and other family. The weather was quite mild, but there was quite a lot of rain. My brother in-law had an accident a few weeks before I went over there. He tore the quadricep muscle on his right leg so he was home the whole time which is quite often not the case at that time of the year. It's always nice to be with family at Christmas.<br />
I had a flight on January 7 back to Sarajevo via Vienna. However that flight was late arriving and I missed my connection along with 3 other people on the flight from London. We were booked on the evening flight which left on time. But when we arrived in Sarajevo we could not land because of fog and returned to Vienna. I spent the night in the same hotel I stayed in on September 10 2001 before catching a flight to New York on September 11. The next day I caught a now full plane and arrived in Sarajevo. </div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-85583966889873566622013-12-12T08:56:00.001-08:002013-12-12T08:56:01.813-08:00Birthday poem<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On December 1st I got and wrote down a poem that was obviously meant for my birthday here it is ;<br />
<br />
I can't believe<br />
I'm sixty<br />
I once was<br />
a wee boy<br />
<br />
I played<br />
in streets<br />
in Gornal<br />
a football<br />
was my toy<br />
<br />
Though age we count<br />
in numbers<br />
it's just a state<br />
of mind<br />
<br />
By keeping myself active<br />
the years have been so kind. </div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-68500124723288288082013-12-11T07:14:00.002-08:002013-12-11T07:14:22.030-08:00I am 60<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The date today is 11-12-13 and it is also my 60th Birthday. Friends from around the world started sending me Birthday wishes late last night as it was already December 11 in their part of the world. When I went out for my run this morning it was -2C and yes it kinda felt cold, but I wasn't feeling old. I have been very lucky that there was blue sky and sunshine for all of the day. I even chatted with one of my cousins in Australia and as my niece said this morning 60 on 11-12-13 will be most memorable :)</div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-86342741195642810242013-12-10T05:06:00.003-08:002013-12-10T05:06:54.867-08:00New opportunity's<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last week I discovered there was a new smoothie and coffee bar in the city. I went to check it on Monday and it turns out it was the first day open, I went again on Friday and met one of the owners Mike.It seems that he and his wife run a yoga center in Sarajevo and after a few minutes of conversation he asked me if I would be interested in teaching meditation there. So it looks like 2014 has new things for me. Yesterday I went in to see how things are going and and met Mike's wife Ajda and there new baby girl. Turns out she lived in New York for 2 years and left around the same time as me and we also discovered in conversation, that she and Mike came to a talk I gave in Sarajevo 2 years ago go figure :)</div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-10045405801856040052013-12-02T09:50:00.001-08:002013-12-02T09:50:25.935-08:00Back in Sarajevo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I left Sarajevo it was quite warm and when I arrived in Ljubljana it was quite rainy and Sarajevo got cold and snowed.<br />
I arrived in Ljubljana just after 6am, the bus trip had been uneventful. After a little nap and a run I went into the city and in the evening had dinner, Mexican food with a couple of friends. The weekend was basically a mix of light and heavy rain on Saturday and Sun and light rain on Sunday, I did manage to have lunch with friends both days.<br />
Monday was nice weather wise, I noticed it was warmer in Ljubljana than in Sarajevo. I gave a talk in the evening on Sport and Meditation at one of the Faculty's to a small group.<br />
Tuesday I had coffee, organic Hot Chocolate and good conversation with my friend Nejc who I met in Sarajevo about a year ago.<br />
Wednesday was a late lunch with 4 good friends at a new Vegan/ vegetarian place near the bus and train station. Then it was time to get my bus back to Sarajevo, by about a third of the way completed we saw snow on the ground and when I got Sarajevo just before 5am there was about 10 cm on the ground.<br />
So I was gone just about a week and the weather had changed from temperatures in the 15 C range to below freezing.</div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-72087767447651803982013-11-20T05:20:00.002-08:002013-11-20T05:20:44.595-08:002 more trips before the end of the year.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Tomorrow I will make a trip to Slovenia, specifically Ljubljana. I have been invited to give another talk on Sport and Meditation at the same place that I did in March. It is always to visit and meet old friends especially at this time of the year because so many Christmassy things go on there. I usually take the bus and the trip used to take around 10 hours but since Croatia , which I have to pass through has joined the EU one less border delay has reduced this to around 9 1/2 hours. I will be there for 6 days and have quite a few things planned including of course my talk.<br />
When I get back to Sarajevo I will have around 3 weeks before I make my annual Christmas trip to the UK to spend it with my family. I bought my ticket last week and it was only 1 euro more than last year so that is pretty good. I guess the airlines are staying pretty competitive.</div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-70549123708257186672013-11-08T04:33:00.000-08:002013-11-08T04:33:10.118-08:00Sarajevo Jazz Festival<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
At this time of year in Sarajevo there is a jazz Festival . 2 years ago I was invited by a new friend to go and see the Rosenberg Trio and enjoyed it very much. Last year there wasn't anyone that I really wanted to see, but this year when I saw the schedule there was one that stood out. While living in New York I had discovered Jack De Johnette and listened to quite a lot of his music along with others. So when I saw that he was coming to Sarajevo I decided I was going to see him. The tickets cost twice as much as the other acts but he is well worth it. I got my ticket at the beginning of the week and last night I went to the performance., it was outstanding. It has been my experience that the concerts are not sold out but are very close too it.I had a very pleasant walk home afterwards. I hope that I get the chance to see someone great again next year.</div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-53140480713572814052013-10-28T07:14:00.001-07:002013-10-28T07:14:24.320-07:00The visit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So a little time as gone by but I now want to fill you in on the visit of my friend Uranta Tom Kane. We have known each other for probably 20 years but have not seen each other for about 3 years maybe 4. It turns out he was at a conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia and decided to come and visit Sarajevo. He wanted to come by train but had no idea what this might entail. After a missed connection and delayed trains he arrived early evening and after a short walk back to my place from the station, we ate cheese pie and talk until late.<br />
An early morning run started the day and then we drove with friends to Banja Luka for the day and as it turned out arrived back in Sarajevo in the early hours of the morning. Another early morning run then up into the hills for the day and to have lunch at Ecofutura, the Eco village where I used to work. In the evening we experienced traditional food and drinks in the old part of the city.<br />
Sunday was a day of sight seeing and I tried to show him as much as I could and in the evening pizza with another friend.<br />
I happened that he had a flight back to Edinborough from Dubrovnik in Croatia on Tuesday morning and we had to figure out how to get him there. The answer was for him to get an afternoon bus to Mostar stay there overnight and then an early morning bus to Dubrovnik. So after a last coffee at the train station he was off to the bus and his all too short visit was over. However he was more than impressed with Sarajevo and indeed the Balkans in all, that he will be back again soon I think.</div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-26996091565226701442013-10-09T05:43:00.000-07:002013-10-09T05:43:13.717-07:00I'm back :)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ok so I did say I would try to post more often but time went by so fast.<br />
During the summer I was playing tennis on weekends with an old friend of mine, it was nice cross training and I think it helped my running. This summer was not as hot as the last one, though there were a few hot days in there.<br />
In September I had a short bout of food poisoning which was followed by the flu and this all happened, just as I was about to travel to Zagreb to give a talk. I did travel and the talk was interesting, as my voice got a little strange from the flu.<br />
I spent a few days in Ljubljana where I met with my publisher and hopefully my book will be out soon.<br />
Tomorrow an old Scottish friend of mine will be visiting me in Sarajevo for a few days. He was at a conference in Ljubljana and decided to take the opportunity to come. We have not seen each other for maybe 4 years so there will be a lot of catching up to do.<br />
OK that's it for now, will try to keep my promise and post more often. </div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-70607423042546869162013-06-13T00:16:00.000-07:002013-06-13T00:16:06.932-07:00Linden trees<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well it is June here in Sarajevo and as in many other places around the world st this time, the Linden trees are blooming. Here they are called Lipa and I usually run along Lipa Alley in the morning and it is so nice to run under trees that are filled with fragrant flowers.<br />
On May 29 I gave a talk on Sport and Meditation at the Academy of Sport in Sarajevo, to around 70 students and 11 of them are interested to learn more about meditation.<br />
Tomorrow I will go to a training session of the Sarajevo Athletic club and meet with some of the guys, I am thinking to maybe see if I can train with them during the summer.</div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-15167112783506789572013-05-24T00:35:00.000-07:002013-05-24T00:35:19.693-07:00Projects<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A week ago I had a meeting with the director of the International Peace Center in Sarajevo, he was very helpful in arranging the planting of a Peace tree in 1997. Over the years the plaque by the tree has been damaged and eventually disappeared. So the meeting was about dedicating a new plaque and actually re-dedicating the Peace tree. The director was a bit cautious at first since a few years ago a fountain to the children who died in the war ha been placed nearby, but eventually was quite enthusiastic and will arrange for a ceremony for both in the very near future. I will keep you posted on that.<br />
Then Tuesday this week I went to the Academy of Sport in Sarajevo to speak with a Professor about me giving a talk there on Sport and Meditation and since next week is the last week of school he recommended I give one then , so on Wednesday May 29 at 15:00 I will speak to students from the running class and anyone else who wants to come, I also have the chance to give 2 more talks when the new school year starts :).</div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-8398800485022388382013-05-13T03:21:00.002-07:002013-05-13T03:21:37.047-07:00Spring almost flies by<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Spring arrived in Sarajevo and then it almost became summer a moment later. with temperatures entering into the 30 degree centigrade range. My friend Elvir asked me if I wanted to play tennis with him, he has not played before so we took 2 lessons with a local coach. It helped me a lot to remember some long ago learned skills. Now on Saturday mornings we play tennis., in our first match I beat him 6-4, 6-3 on the strength of me holding serve 3 times, but both of us are improving and we have a lot of fun, which is of course the main thing.<br />
Rain and cooler temps have seen Spring return and of course as a gardener this will help the plants.<br />
On Sunday Elvir and I ran the Run for Europe 4 k race, he has been running 4k in 30 minutes in training and I paced him to a time of 19:31 which of course he was very pleased with. He wants to run a half marathon in September so this is a good boost for his confidence.</div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-84107551321099455312013-04-15T00:47:00.003-07:002013-04-15T00:47:51.071-07:00Last weekend<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On Saturday 3 of us drove to Banja Luka, it's about a 3 hour drive. After about 30 to 40 minutes of highway you get the chance to see lots of nature and a few towns. In the evening 10 of us had a get together which included a meal for which a few of us provided an item.Then we drove back to Sarajevo, arriving just after 1am.<br />
Sunday was a day for Spring cleaning which took place in the afternoon and was about a 2 1/2 hour excursion :) , a lot of dust can collect over the winter and the windows needed a good cleaning. Everything feels so much better now.</div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-19217490800109615792013-04-08T03:33:00.002-07:002013-04-08T03:33:48.565-07:00Overcast<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's a cloudy Monday here in Sarajevo, but the temperature is quite nice. For the last few nights we have had some rain so things are growing and it is supposed to get warmer as the week goes on. Inspired by this I have been potting on some of the new plants I started over the Autumn and winter moving them into bigger pots. I have also started sowing some of my vegetable seeds, Tomato and Peppers for now, but more to follow. My plan is to have fresh salad veggies growing on my balcony so that I can harvest as I need them. I have orange trees that I started last summer and plan to try Lemon and maybe Mandarin oranges this year </div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-91456117751383463832013-04-02T05:08:00.001-07:002013-04-02T05:08:37.920-07:00Easter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here in Sarajevo there are not too many that celebrate Easter at this time in Bosnia it is mostly in Hercegovina, which is mostly Croatian and in the Serbian parts of Bosnia they celebrate a week later as with the rest of the Orthodox Cristian world.<br />
Anyway it was a nice Easter weekend weather wise with very Spring like temperatures around 15 C though Easter Monday did show us some snow and rain followed by Sun. Quite a few trees are starting to show flowers and there are Daffodils and Hyacinth just down the street from me so Winter is slowly going away.</div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-13958218987409913832013-03-19T04:05:00.002-07:002013-03-19T04:05:44.602-07:00Half Marathon and more<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
March second I drove with 2 friends to Nis, Serbia to participate in the Half Marathon portion of the Winter Marathon there.This is the 4th time in a row that I have gone there. Four races ago I injured myself during training 2 days before so did not run, instead counting and supporting the runners and the 2 friends I ahd gone there with.<br />
Morning of the race was cool but sunny and it got warmer as the race went on. I had some minor stomach problems but was still only a little bit slower than previous years.<br />
Had a nice swim after the race and then got a ride to Slovenia with 3 of my friends who had come to also run the Half Marathon. Arriving in Ljubljana a little after midnight it was cooler and quite a lot of snow around.</div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-59730663356298870452013-03-17T05:07:00.001-07:002013-03-17T05:07:13.853-07:00What I've been up to.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
At the end of February I went for a couple of days to Banja Luka. , an old friend from Canada was visiting for a few days and it was a nice chance to spend some time with him. The weather was quite cold, but the visit was pleasant, both of us like to talk and we had much to talk about, however the visit was quite short. He arrived around lunch time on Friday and because of bus and train schedules, had to leave late afternoon Saturday to arrive in Berlin, Germany for some meetings. I think maybe I have convinced him to visit Sarajevo next time he is in the region. </div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-91627185529885503572013-02-21T23:27:00.000-08:002013-02-21T23:27:03.119-08:00A day late<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's a day late due to me traveling yesterday, but here is the last poem in the series One Day ;<br />
<br />
That tastes so good<br />
I want to eat it all<br />
but if I do<br />
I'll blow up like a ball<br />
<br />
So just one piece<br />
will do for me just now<br />
that just one piece<br />
will have to be my lot.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-38710941914144634122013-02-20T08:42:00.001-08:002013-02-20T08:42:22.681-08:00Signs of Spring<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Walked into the city this morning and on the way back I noticed a bush with no leaves but a few pale yellow flowers on it.. Later I also noticed pussy willow. Signs of Spring indeed.<br />
<br />
Today's poem;<br />
<br />
Don't shine that<br />
in my eyes<br />
I can't see<br />
where I'm going<br />
<br />
It's bad enough<br />
to walk here<br />
without even knowing<br />
<br />
Will I fall or<br />
will I not<br />
should I just<br />
stand here on this spot<br />
<br />
The only way<br />
I'll ever know<br />
is to move forward<br />
just to go.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-19257308873218344822013-02-18T08:48:00.000-08:002013-02-18T08:48:07.497-08:00Just a hint of snow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This morning while I was out running there was just a hint of snow, the odd snowflake falling as I ran by the river. However I think that maybe it was a little too warm and eventually rain began to fall as it has done all day.<br />
<br />
Today's poem;<br />
<br />
It's that time of year<br />
just like the last<br />
climb through the ages<br />
from the past<br />
<br />
Rememberings from<br />
years gone by<br />
they make you laugh<br />
they make you cry<br />
<br />
Reflecting now<br />
upon your life<br />
to set the tone<br />
to journey on.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13752454.post-22729109337154743772013-02-17T04:55:00.001-08:002013-02-17T04:55:20.306-08:00A cloudy day in Sarajevo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well it's a bit of a cloudy day in Sarajevo, but an old friend called me late morning and we had an early lunch and a nice chat in the city.<br />
<br />
When will they stop<br />
maybe never<br />
they just go on<br />
for ever and ever<br />
<br />
To inspire<br />
and to give joy<br />
a gift from heaven<br />
for this little boy.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
anudayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17225458449093938501noreply@blogger.com0