It's Good to be Home

It's me sitting outside Frohnberg, the home used to film various scenes from the Sound of Music, and is now a guesthouse for students attending the Orff Institute (right next door) in Salzburg.

While it was fantastic to travel to Salzburg and to meet interesting teachers from all around the globe, I am so grateful to be home!

Would your government punish you for sharing music or dance with other cultures?
I am even more grateful to be living in a country that has broad freedoms and tolerance for differences (at least compared to some countries).  

I was stunned to learn that the reason we were not to post pictures of classes with participants, was because there were students from countries run by governments with little tolerance for sharing their culture with others.  

Teachers from these countries have learned to restrict their involvement in activity so as not to receive punishments personally or to bring hardship on their families.

I was truly shocked...I had somehow thought that the reason we couldn't videotape or audiotape sessions or bits of sessions was for copyright reasons or some such thing.  It had never occurred to me that it was to protect other participants from being punished by their governments.

My return home to a little, black dog and a little green parrot on the day of our 3rd wedding anniversary felt even more important and dear to my heart knowing that simply because I was born and live in Canada, I am able to enjoy a charmed life.  I have the freedom to live without fears.