questioning

Does our society feel more comfortable creating polar opposites or categories in order to make sense of our world? Do these definitions create boxes to put people into more easily? This post may not make sense because I mostly have questions right now.

• Can someone be pro-life and pro-choice at the same time?
• Can a woman be empowered and still look for a man?
• Is there evolution within creation? Could God have used evolution to create?
• Is it possible to be a feminist if you are a stay at home mom?
• Is being dependent on someone the opposite of being an independent person?
• Do we have to have our identity defined by our career, our marital status or our children rather than our character and person?

Just some thoughts bouncing around in my grey matter these days.

Girlfriends

Yesterday, I went to see the movie "Sex & The City" with friends. The producers got the film right - in my humble opinion. It was a whole season of the show in one fabulous movie. Regardless of your views of the show and/or movie (which I loved), the underlining theme is the friendship between the four characters. Life isn't always the fairytale we think or life doesn't follow the schedule we plan but knowing you have people next to you as you figure it all out is a gift. Walking out of the theatre, I realized my women friends are amazing. It is easy to take them for granted as life gets busy but I have been blessed with supportive friends.

Thank you to each of my friends - my life would be only a fraction of what it is without you in it.

The pictures that some people are demanding I post on Picassa

For more pictures (and some duplicates from what I have already posted), please use this link:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bateman.sj

I am not sure why it has co.uk in the address...very odd if you ask me. But as I am not a techy-person, I will not ask any questions about it and just accept it as it is.

Enjoy.

The Trip in Review - as a list of course

(Do you see me? I am in the Reichstag)

Despite my brief updates and introspective review of my trip, here is a fun list of what I did on my travels through Europe:

20 Days of Travelling

19 Hours in flight (give or take a couple of hours)

18 Days where I consumed at least one meal of meat and bread and cheese

17 Tube or train rides

16 Czech Korunas to one Canadian dollar (there is no easy conversion formula)

15 Days of decent weather when the sun shone for at least part of the day

14 Visits to grocery stores for breakfast or snack food

13 Different beers tasted

12 Modes of transportation taken

11 Kilometres walked each day (on average - and a total guess)

10 Prints/Pictures purchased to hang on my wall (now let's see if I will get around to framing them)

Rembrandt's "Adoration of the Shepherds" - National Gallery London

9 New journals purchased (Paperchase - my idea of heaven!)

8 Churches or Synagogues visited

7 Museums wandered through

6 Different chocolate brands sampled

5 Cities seen (Berlin, Potsdam, Prague, London & Oxford)

4 New airports visited (and added to my "40 Airports by the time I am 40 list")

3 Cemeteries walked through

2 Old Friends

1 - 30th Birthday celebrated (Yeah Bobbi)

0 Postcards sent

a picture or two

There are reasons for my lack of faithful blogging while travelling around Europe. By merely listing activities done, sights seen and food eaten, only part of my trip could be conveyed. I didn't know how to use words to fully describe what I saw, felt, processed and learned during the past 3 weeks. However, on my flight home yesterday I took the time to think about it and here is what I learned:

1) Tension is necessary
2) Beauty is necessary
3) Trusting who you are is necessary

When I was in Berlin, I was tense - still stressed about things back home - job, relationships and other priorities. This tension fit with Berlin as the city itself is learning to cope with its past but finding ways to move forward.

Then onto Prague which evoked emotions I was unprepared for. In my own life, there are scars caused by past choices. I could mourn my mistakes but miss the joy of life. I must find the beauty and learn from those past errors. Prague is full of beauty amid the scars of an unpleasant past. At first the city frustrated me with its inconsistencies but during my time there, it won my heart.

Then came London. This city is full of character and just is. I spent time with old friends and came away knowing I am loved.

The realization that I am who I was at 17 or 27. Time and experience gives me depth and different perspective - yet my character remains true. London has so much history but it is still London and you can see what it was like centuries ago.

I am not sure if any of this makes sense but I am learning to live with tension, be okay & forgive my mistakes, and embrace who I am.

London Calling

We are on the final leg of our European tour. Only a few more days until we head home. Prior to London, the weather gods had been smiling on us with sunshine and warmth. However, in England, our luck ran out with some rain and clouds. But that didn't stop us. Yesterday, we started exploring Central London with the National Gallery, wandered by Buckingham Palace and watched the musical "Wicked" which is fabulous. Will fill in more details soon...I promise.

Pretty Prague

A quick update as we prepare to leave Prague for London. We spent the last 3.5 days here and that has been the perfect amount. The first day I lost my passion for Prague because it was frustrating with the metro and wrong information in our guide and the International Marathon cutting through town. But the second and third days have won mÿ heart back to the pretty place. Prague is a faïrytale place. Czech beer, gothic and baroque architecture and a surprise around every corner...that is Prague.