Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Finally in Serbia

The last few days have been a journalistic hurricane.

I've arrived in Belgrade on Sunday and have been doing three interviews a day since Monday.

Is that what it's going to feel like when I enter 'real adult life'? Coming home (because this hostel here feels like home) and feeling drained?

Not that the interviews feel like work- they feel exhilarating. I've been to the Canadian Society for International Health, the ... out of circle organization (it offers counseling and legal advice for disabled women), group 484, which works with refugees, at a press conference for a book launch funded by CIDA, at the Canadian embassy speaking to a CIDA rep and a gender specialist, at the CIDA-funded Serbian Public Health Association and at the Judicial Reform Project office (also CIDA-funded).

Whew! I've filled pages and pages with information about policy-making, gender issues, judicial reforms, public health... And I'm proud of Canada, who's a leader in many aspects, especially integrating gender as a cross-cutting theme in all spheres of involvement, not just as a statement.

I've got a lot of work awaiting me, but I feel optimistic because all the information seems to come together now and it's a wonderful feeling after being overwhelmed for quite some time (hence the lack of blogging...)