Global BC’s sports anchor and reporter Jay Janower travelled to Austria in the middle of the refugee crisis that’s sweeping over Europe. This is his personal account of what he witnessed.
Normally when I go on vacation I completely shut it down, unplugged and not connected to a world/medium that consumes me seven days a week. For me that means no cell phone, no tweeting and very little TV. I’ll watch a few minutes of local TV because I’m curious how other stations, cities and countries deliver the news, but again it’s just for a few minutes.
The day before my wife and family embarked on our trip to Austria/Prague (my wife’s parents immigrated to Canada from Vienna), I watched anxiously as Syrian refugees fled their homeland. Yes, sports guys do watch more than sports! To see thousands flee their country on foot, with very little in hand except for that of a spouse or relative was moving stuff. At the time, it was just another “News” story to me. Yes, one that left me questioning aloud how a civil war still rages on and at what cost to its people? Watching from my comfy couch at home, it was just another 1:30 in an hour long news cycle, even though thousands upon thousands were fleeing. Yes, I was taken aback by it, aren’t we all? It just didn’t resonate with me…until now.
Today, that story became real for me. As we sat on the railway platform in Vienna waiting to continue our Austrian journey to Salzburg I noticed a strong Polizei (police) presence. (I’m one of those guys/travellers who keeps an eye on everything). Minutes later, hundreds of Syrian refugees were being herded to an awaiting train bound for Germany. I watched families, teenagers, women, mothers, infants and the elderly go past. Very few were carrying luggage of any kind. No carry-ons, no knapsacks, nothing. Basically just the clothes on their backs and the hope of a better life ahead. I watched in awe as they continued to walk by.
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Now, when I see news at home, I’m quick to grab my iPhone and tweet out a picture or two, be it news or sports. Those who follow me on Twitter can vouch for me on that one. Same goes for shooting some video. That didn’t happen today and here’s why.
During one of our three stops to Salzburg, our train became a carrier of hope to dozens of Syrian refugees. One by one, single file, they brushed past me looking for a seat. Again, it was children, mothers and parents. Again, no luggage. The one thing I did notice being carried was a bag of buns. It was being held tightly by a child, a boy who couldn’t be more than seven years old. He walked by me a couple of times. Each time he passed me I thought, “shouldn’t a little boy be clutching his favourite toy or stuffed animal?” That bag of buns, along with his family was all he/they had. That and hope.
As our train hurled its way towards Salzburg (240 kmph), three refugees attempted to converse with a passenger in front of me. They were curious how far it was to Germany. He pointed to the GPS map above his shoulder, “2.5 hours to Germany” he told them in broken English/German. Then, technology took over. One of the refugees had a cell phone. For the next 20 minutes, he showed his new travelling companion where they had left and how long ago. I listened intently as he communicated that two weeks ago they fled the Syrian coast for Hungary, then Austria and now towards Germany. The Austrian man then showed them video of scenes you’ve probably watched at home, Syrians fleeing their homeland on foot. All three refugees looked on and nodded that they too had done the same. I didn’t have to try to understand a foreign tongue to know the sacrifices these people have made. Their shoes, clothing , and most importantly — their faces — told me all I needed to know.
When the train pulled into Salzburg, I reached into my wife’s bag and grabbed an apple we’d brought along to snack on. I handed it to a refugee and wished him good luck. He thanked me and said “good luck” to me.
One train, but two very different journeys.
There was no need for an iPhone or camera to document this. Not when you witness despair, angst, courage and hope up close/personal. It gets burned into your memory bank.
I’ve been in Salzburg for eight hours now and I can’t stop thinking about the people of Syria. It’s what compelled me to plug back into my regular world and write this story.
A boy, his bag of buns and the hope of a better life ahead.
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