Uncategorized – Page 5

I visited the two cities the summer 2007 before they organized the Olympics. That was a really exciting and interesting experience. I discovered a country which at that time was quite far from those images of Mao or just the Great Wall of China. It is improving its economic rates at about 10% GDP for more than thirty years now. It is said that nowadays is the “factory of the world” but also is increasing its technological standards. They are at same levels or in some areas even better than Germany, Japan or United States. And with near 1.300 millions people they have a lot to do to become, possibly, first superpower in this century. At that time when I visited both cities, summer 2007, Shanghai was already one of the cities with more skyscrapers in the world.

A few years after they signed Peace Treaty with their enemies (Serbian Army), Bosnia and Sarajevo as their capital presented still clear scars of what war meant to them. As it is said hundreds of times, it was the worst conflict in European soil after Second War World. All suffered and committed terrible crimes against people who just a few years before were neighbors spending free time together. Before war, there were three main ethnic groups: Bosnians (Muslims), Croatians (catholic) and Serbians (orthodox) and there was usual to know about marriages among members from different ethnic groups. After, there was just in real terms a big one: Muslims. Wounds were and still are nowadays too painful to be forgotten and forgiven. At that time, when I went there, in 2006, there were looking at Europe. Now I wish they still keep trying to look forward for a better future.