a few more thoughts...

While Putin and Bush stood side-by-side at the Olympic opening ceremony offering the world beaming smiles and happy handshakes, Russia was beginning a crushing assault on Georgian forces in S. Ossetia. To be sure, both sides (Georgia and Russia) share the responsibility of subjecting these citizens to devastation.

Yet as Russian and Georgia faced off on a different pitch, the two sides came together afterwards to show that its really just a game, and they are just people. Salukvadze (of Georgia) came in third place in the Olympic Shooting event, second place went to Paderina (of Russia), and despite the war between their respective nations, the women were somehow able to stand together and exchange embraces.

What does this mean? Maybe that war is entirely fictional and created by a few individuals who have to much power. If war were natural, then these two athletes should have turned their rifles at each other and fired. At the very least they should not have been able to stand side by side.

~~

On another note, I have re-read some of my recent posts, and feel like I have been painting a slightly negative picture of Serbia. This is not my intention. I am having a fantastic time here, and have felt very welcome everywhere I have been. Certainly I have not been subject to any discriminations, beyond what one expects in any big, busy city on this planet.