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As you may or may not know, there is a very large number of war refugees fleeing from the situation developing in Syria and surrounding countries, instigated by Islamic State.
Some estimated 14 million people are moving towards middle Europe or so.
To the north-east of Croatia, Hungary is building a large wall to prevent people from passing through, so their only hope is moving through the width of Croatia, to Slovenia and further on into Europe.
Today, I was traveling via train from Varaždin (not far from Slovenian border), to my home town, Pitomača - away from Slovenian border, towards east.
On the halfway point there is a city of Koprivnica, where our train departure was delayed for a few minutes because of the train filled with refugees heading west. This is one of many trains, transporting thousands of refugees towards Zagreb, our capital city.
I was watching from my train as the oncoming train stopped next to our platform, filled to the brim with people looking exhausted, yet hopeful because they are still moving, still going somewhere.
I didn't know we'd be passing a transport train there, so I kept an eye on the situation and surroundings. To my great surprise, I saw only a single police officer walking about. Not a single unit of intervention or special police forces.
Instead, I saw a dozen or maybe more Red Cross uniformed-people standing ready, and when the train stopped to a halt with already-open doors, Red Cross workers immediately hurried to distribute the piled supplies - bottled water and food as far as I've seen. Just piles of prepared necessities, being given away to those who need them.
But even more than that, I saw people forming in lines in front of train cars' doors, ordinary non-uniformed people, carrying plastic bags filled with food and supplies to nearest door or opened window. They went on their own accord and bought supplies and gave them to people in dire need within that train. They outnumbered the uniformed people several times.
People within the train quickly distributed the water and foot between themselves. I saw a child, couldn't be more than maybe 4 years old, with a smile on their face and waving to every person they saw through the window of the train. People waved back and took pictures, which seemed to amuse the child.
After some 15 minutes or so, the refugee train started leaving. Everybody waved at everybody. People from within the train waved heartfully towards the people on the platform, who waved back with equal measure.
They yelled and waved, as if saying goodbye to relatives or family whom they are never going to see again, and not people whom they've known for about 13 minutes... and are probably never going to see again.
If you want picz, sorry, but I had a bit more sense than pulling out my phone and taking pictures of the train and the people as if they're something unnatural or bizarre, as if they're not just people trying to make it through the day like you and I. You can google "syria refugees" to your heart's content, if you don't already watch the news.
In short, there is a very small, dark nihilistic side of me that, once in every blue moon, thinks this whole "humanity" thing went sideways long time ago and just wants to watch everything burn.
Not this day. Today, everything was alright.
So that's my little story for today. Hope you found it within you to feel for those people who are leaving everything they have ever known behind themselves, never to look or go back, while running for their very lives from an almost unrealistically evil developments...
Like those ordinary people with bags of supplies felt for them.
Some estimated 14 million people are moving towards middle Europe or so.
To the north-east of Croatia, Hungary is building a large wall to prevent people from passing through, so their only hope is moving through the width of Croatia, to Slovenia and further on into Europe.
Today, I was traveling via train from Varaždin (not far from Slovenian border), to my home town, Pitomača - away from Slovenian border, towards east.
On the halfway point there is a city of Koprivnica, where our train departure was delayed for a few minutes because of the train filled with refugees heading west. This is one of many trains, transporting thousands of refugees towards Zagreb, our capital city.
I was watching from my train as the oncoming train stopped next to our platform, filled to the brim with people looking exhausted, yet hopeful because they are still moving, still going somewhere.
I didn't know we'd be passing a transport train there, so I kept an eye on the situation and surroundings. To my great surprise, I saw only a single police officer walking about. Not a single unit of intervention or special police forces.
Instead, I saw a dozen or maybe more Red Cross uniformed-people standing ready, and when the train stopped to a halt with already-open doors, Red Cross workers immediately hurried to distribute the piled supplies - bottled water and food as far as I've seen. Just piles of prepared necessities, being given away to those who need them.
But even more than that, I saw people forming in lines in front of train cars' doors, ordinary non-uniformed people, carrying plastic bags filled with food and supplies to nearest door or opened window. They went on their own accord and bought supplies and gave them to people in dire need within that train. They outnumbered the uniformed people several times.
People within the train quickly distributed the water and foot between themselves. I saw a child, couldn't be more than maybe 4 years old, with a smile on their face and waving to every person they saw through the window of the train. People waved back and took pictures, which seemed to amuse the child.
After some 15 minutes or so, the refugee train started leaving. Everybody waved at everybody. People from within the train waved heartfully towards the people on the platform, who waved back with equal measure.
They yelled and waved, as if saying goodbye to relatives or family whom they are never going to see again, and not people whom they've known for about 13 minutes... and are probably never going to see again.
If you want picz, sorry, but I had a bit more sense than pulling out my phone and taking pictures of the train and the people as if they're something unnatural or bizarre, as if they're not just people trying to make it through the day like you and I. You can google "syria refugees" to your heart's content, if you don't already watch the news.
In short, there is a very small, dark nihilistic side of me that, once in every blue moon, thinks this whole "humanity" thing went sideways long time ago and just wants to watch everything burn.
Not this day. Today, everything was alright.
So that's my little story for today. Hope you found it within you to feel for those people who are leaving everything they have ever known behind themselves, never to look or go back, while running for their very lives from an almost unrealistically evil developments...
Like those ordinary people with bags of supplies felt for them.
