Gratitude Friday - The place of memorial

This week, on the 27th January, it was the Giorno della Memoria, a day for remembering the victims of the Holocaust, including survivors, and to honour of those who risked their lives to help those being persecuted.

In the square, near my new apartment, an installation ATMOSFERA by Davide Giglio was erected . At night, sounds and images were projected onto one of the balls of the war.(below right).

Whether it was day or night the installation caught the attention and made people, especially myself, reflect on the past horrors.  Furthermore, as this year marked the 65th year since the Auschwitz survivors were liberated, with fewer remaining survivors to remind us of what they endured, our generation and our children need to know and remember what happened in order to stop this type of atrocity occurring again.

Why am I writing this as my Gratitude Friday blog? Because I am grateful my family & I did not, and do not, have to live in such dreadful circumstances as there were in Nazi Europe. I am thankful that we are not afraid because of the colour of our eyes or size of our shoes, or some other random thing which makes us different. Strange examples? NO. Discrimination is not rational, which is why I used them, discrimination is about hating difference through ignorance. I am pleased we do not have to experience it.

I am thankful that in these times of mass media that people should not be able to ignore events such as the Holocaust again. I am hopeful that in this media age genocide of a people due to race or religion, as happened in Germany, Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and is ongoing in Darfur, will stop occurring. Finally, I am grateful that people and nations choose to remember and mark events such as the liberation of Auschwitz, and the victims of the Holocaust.

Gratitude Friday - On Sunday

I know I am a bit late, and in fact this is my first gratitude post of 2010, but I have a lot of excuses of which the number one is a lack of internet accessibility. Excuse over, so today I am grateful for..

... the opportunities and choices I have. They may not necessarily turn out to be right in the long term, but at least I have options.

This new year sees me back in Europe, in the northern Italian city of Turin.This is my 3rd weekend here and I think it is a great cultural place to be with hundreds of museums and galleries to visit. Also, fabulous buildings to explore, and it is a beautiful city. So far, I have visited the the Galleria Civica D'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (GAM) and intend to see as many as possible over the coming weekends.

Now if only the sun would come out and allow me to take a few more pictures with blues skies, like the one above of the river Po, ... although below is one of my favourites this year... a tram in fog.

Wandering to Calabria?

If you are wandering down to Calabria,  check out this post I guest wrote for my cyber-buddy Lisa over at Travel Dreams & Moonbeams. Her blog is worth bookmarking as it's full of great travel articles.

2009 End of Year Meme

I first saw this year end meme at Bleeding Espresso, who got it from Sundry Mourning, who originally copied it from Gwen's Petty, Judgmental, Evil Thoughts back in 2004. Check them out too. I haven't answered all questions, but left them in case you'd like to do this yourself. Don't forget to let me know below, if you do.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before? An  art spa. Sloshing paint about was very liberating & therapeutic.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I kept 2 of 4 of last years', but haven't made any so far today.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Beccy gave birth to William

4. Did anyone close to you die? Unfortunately yes, my uncle.

5. What countries did you visit? South Africa, UK, Italy, Germany, Lebanon & UAE

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? A new roof.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? January for staying in my flat for first time, July for mum & dad visiting flat, and August for finally going to Lebanon.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Starting to draw regularly again

9. What was your biggest failure? My relationship with J.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing too bad, as I don't remember anything other than a touch of flu.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Chandelier for the lounge with last year's birthday money.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration? Lorraine with her charity to help Kenyan orphans. Check out the website Xmas Torch

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? A family member

14. Where did most of your money go? Plane tickets

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Doing Jenni's art spa. Also UrbanSketchers

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? Rise up, Yves Larock

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer? A) about the same B) same C) life is richer but bank definitely isn't.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Laughing

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Crying

20. How did you spend Christmas? With mum & dad

21. Did you fall in love in 2009? I was still in love with my ex :-{

22. What was your favourite TV program? Harper's Island, although I still haven't seen the last episode

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? I try not to hate anything or anyone.

24. What was the best book you read? The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
25. What was your greatest musical discovery? James Morrison

26. What did you want and get? A new job

27. What did you want and not get? More of the flat to be finished.

28. What was your favourite film of this year? None

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I went for a pub lunch with my parents then out in the evening with Alison for a catch-up over a drink.


30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Better drawings.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Same as always

32. What kept you sane? Claire

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

34. What political issue stirred you the most? Lack of resolution on climate change, and the continual deforestation

35. Who did you miss? Everyone who wasn't near.

36. Who was the best new person you met? Lorraine

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. Never give up a gift or undervalue yourself.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.